Feng Shui and Psychology: Situational and Individual Predictors of Dominance

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of Seat Orientation on Exhibited Dominance. Feng Shui theorists dichotomize Seat Orientation as diagonal to the entrance (the Power Position) or not. Undergraduates at a Southern California University (N = 180) completed the Dominance scale of the Personality Research Form to assess Personality Dominance. Next, they ranked 12 campus improvements individually and in groups of 4. Finally, they completed a form measuring self and peer-perceptions of dominance.

The results indicated that Personality Dominance was related to being the group recorder and self and peer-perceptions of Exhibited Dominance. Also the occupant of the Power Position was more likely to be the group recorder, have the greatest amount of influence, indirectly rate him or herself as the most dominant, and be rated by others as the most dominant. These results were generally unchanged when controlling for Personality Dominance.